PURPOSE: Sexual activity is a highly personal matter and uneasy to measure their problems objectively in view of clinical field. Many investigators have been continued to rely on self-report measures of sexual function. However, there have been few report measuring female sexual function in general population in Korea. This study was aimed to investigate function by self-report measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 347 married women was randomly selected and asked to fill the Brief Index of Sexual Function for Women (BISF-W) which was translated into Korean and modified by authors. Three factors-interest/desire, sexual activity, and satisfaction were analyzed. RESULTS: Women were grouped by age at 10-year intervals. 21.5% of women reported to be sexually active during the past moth, and 78.5% was inactive. Most common coital frequency in all age groups pas one-two times per month. 76.1% of women showed passive response in their initiation of sexual activities. Mostly they reach orgasm only by the vaginal intercourse, and overall satisfaction rate was 55.2% including only 25% of fifties groups followed by pain. CONCLUSIONS: In general, Korean women showed less active in their sexual lives, however, they were relatively satisfied to their sexual lives. A larger study and more sophisticated, modified questionnaire, which is more considering specific social, psychological interpersonal factors would be required.
Coitus ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Moths ; Orgasm ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Research Personnel ; Sexual Behavior*

OBJECTIVE: GnRH-agonist (GnRH-Ag) used in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for IVF-ET has been known to affect directly on apoptosis of human ovarian cells, but its mechanism is not clearly understood. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether caspase-3 and -9 activation and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) cleavage are involved in the mechanism(s) by which GnRH-Ag induces apoptosis in human granulosa-luteal cells. METHODS: Human granulosa-luteal cells collected from IVF-ET patients were cultured and treated with 10(-6) M GnRH-Ag or saline as a control. To access apoptosis in the cells, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay and DNA fragmentation analysis were preformed 24 h after the treatment. Activity of caspase-3 and -9 in the cells was examined by using a fluorogenic substrate. Caspase-3 and -9 activation and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: DNA fragmentation in the cells increased in the higher concentration over 10(-6) M GnRH-Ag. In the result of TUNEL assay, the rate of apoptotic cells in GnRH-Ag treatment increased significantly compared with that of saline treatment (p<0.05). The activity of caspase-3 and -9 investigated by using a fluorogenic substrate increased only in the apoptotic cells. In Western blot analysis, the cells treated with GnRH-Ag revealed an increase in active forms of caspase-3 and -9 compared with those of the saline treatment. In addition, cleavage of PARP also increased in the cells treated with GnRH-Ag. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that activation of caspase-3 and -9 and cleavage of PARP might be involved in apoptosis of human granulosa-luteal cells induced by GnRH-Ag.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3* ; DNA Fragmentation ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Female ; Fluorescent Dyes ; Humans* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Luteal Cells*

Signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix is most commonly considered to be metastatic in origin. We describe one case of primary signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix occuring in 49-year-old patient. The lesion was located at the posterior lip of the cervix and about 3 cm in size. This case was parametrium thickening in pelvic examination and positive for HPV type 18. CCRT (concurrent chemoradiotherapy) was done for clinical FIGO stage II B adenocarcinoma of the cervix. The patient is alive for 6month since diagnosis and disappear lesion of the cervix. A upper gastroenteroscopy, colonoscopy, cystoscopy, intravenous pyelogram, abdominal pelvic CT, PET CT, mammogram were reported negative. Therefore we concluded this case for a primary cervical origin of signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Colonoscopy ; Cystoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gynecological Examination ; Humans ; Lip ; Middle Aged

Ectopic adrenal tissue is observed in about 50% of neonates, but observed in about 1% of adults as it atrophies and disappears over time. In most cases, ectopic adrenal tissue is found in organs below the diaphragm such as liver, pancreas, kidney, transverse colon and male and female genital tract. However, ectopic adrenal tissue found in the uterine adnexa is a very rare case through the world. Ectopic adrenal tissue was incidentally found in the right uterine adnexa after total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy, so we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Atrophy ; Colon, Transverse ; Diaphragm ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Infant, Newborn ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Pancreas

OBJECTIVE: To determine preliminary evidence for the safety and efficacy of B lymphocyte depletion therapy in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Four female lupus nephritis patients who had been refractory to steroid and one or more immunosuppressive therapy were treated on an open-label basis. During a 4-week period, each patient received two 500-mg infusions of rituximab and two 750-mg infusions of cyclophosphamide. RESULTS: Patient 1, 2, and 3 were responded with rituximab treatment with improvements in SLEDAI and laboratory parameters such as C3/C4 and 24 hour urine protein. However, patient 4 had not improved with rituximab. The variation in the level of anti-double-stranded DNA antibody was different in individual patients. No significant adverse events were observed during follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study provides an evidence for the safety and possible efficacy of B lymphocyte depletion therapy in refractory lupus nephritis. However a further randomized trial is needed to confirm the efficacy and durability of remission.
Cyclophosphamide ; DNA ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Lupus Nephritis* ; Lymphocyte Depletion ; Rituximab

Sclerosing stromal tumor (SST) is a rare benign neoplasm of ovarian stromal origin and predominantly affects young women in the second and third decades. This tumor characteristically differentiates itself histologically and clinically from both thecomas and fibromas. We present a case of huge SST of the ovary weighing 10 kg in a 71-year-old postmenopausal woman with a brief review of the literature.
Aged ; Female ; Fibroma ; Humans ; Ovary ; Thecoma

Sclerosing stromal tumor (SST) is a rare benign neoplasm of ovarian stromal origin and predominantly affects young women in the second and third decades. This tumor characteristically differentiates itself histologically and clinically from both thecomas and fibromas. We present a case of huge SST of the ovary weighing 10 kg in a 71-year-old postmenopausal woman with a brief review of the literature.
Aged ; Female ; Fibroma ; Humans ; Ovary ; Thecoma

BACKGROUND: Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is a progressive fibrous lung disease with occasional fatal outcomes. However, the extent and rate of progression varies markedly from one patient to another. As a result, it is difficult to determine the time of the initial treatment and assess the disease activity and course. Fibroblast foci (FF) is well known to synthesize collagen actively by their myofibroblasts component. However, the prognostic value of the FF have not been evaluated in patients with UIP. Therefore this study was undertaken to determine how the number of fibroblastic foci can reflect the disease activity and progression. METHODS: Twenty patients with UIP(M:F=13:7), who were diagnosed by a surgical lung biopsy. The number of fibroblastic foci was analyzed in terms of its correlation with the clinical manifestations. pulmonary function test, arterial blood gas analysis, and a bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL). RESULTS: The number of fibroblastic foci did not correlate with the various lung function tests and the other clinical parameters. Intersetingly, the percentage of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid did correlate with the quantity of the normalized Vv of FF(r=0.60, p<0.05). The patients were divided into 2 groups, group I and II, arbitratily, according to the value of the normalized Vv. The clinical parameters and the PFT results were not different between the two groups. In particular, the survival rate between the two groups according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis were not different. CONCLUSION: A large number of FF does not imply a bad prognosis in patients wit UIP.
Biopsy ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Collagen ; Fatal Outcome ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Myofibroblasts ; Neutrophils ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVES: The bone mineral density (BMD) of young aged women was not fully investigated because of the limited indication of BMD test. This study was to investigate mean Z-score of BMD in healthy young aged Korean women and to find out factors influencing the BMD score in her twenties and thirties. METHODS: A total 876 young aged (20-40 years) women who had taken dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for BMD screening from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed retrospectively using demographic data including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and serum lipid profile. We compared the two age groups, in her twenties and thirties, regarding BMD and other parameters.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: Acute aortic dissection associated with high mortality rate has an extremely poor prognosis if early diagnosis and treatment are not received. Recently, with advanced computed tomography and echocardiography, diagnostic rate is higher and early operation is possible. Therefore preoperative medical therapy at ER(emergency room) lowered the mortality rate. This study was done to analyze the results with preoperative management at ER and operations, retrospectively. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A series of 42 patients treated surgically for acute aortic dissections from 1991 to 2001 were included in this study. There were 18 males and 24 females. Mean age was 51.1 years. The admission course through emergency and outpatient department(OPD) was 34 and 8 respectively. RESULT: 26 patients underwent ascending aorta replacement-7 combined aortic valve replacements, 7 patients underwent descending aorta replacements and 9 patients received Bentall's operation. At emergency department, 20 patients received antihypertensive drugs and beta-receptor blockers and 6 patients died. 22 patients did not receive antihypertensive and beta-receptor block drugs and 10 patients died. There were 16(38%) overall deaths. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis at ER or OPD is essential for acute aortic dissection, and it is important to select the most appropriate noninvasive interventions as possible. Therefore, preoperative drug therapy at ER is suggested according the patient conditions.
Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Valve ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Outpatients ; Preoperative Care ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies