PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical features and treatment outcome of Langerhans' cell histocytosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August 1996 to June 2013, 28 patients who histologically proven with LCH were analyzed of medical records, radiography, pathologic character retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 28 cases of LCH including 22 child has been reported. Onset age was 0.6 to 51 years old, occurred in the average age was 14.8 years. Follow-up period was 6 months to 134 months average was 44.6 months. The M:F ratio was 2.5:1. The initial symptoms was pain in 18 cases, 5 cases of pathologic fracture, 3 case of palpable mass, 1 case of discovered by accident in radiography, 1 case of torticollis. In radiological examination osteolysis was seen all cases, 7 cases showed a periosteal reaction, 1 case showed soft tissue extension. Clinical type of all cases were eosinophilic granuloma. 25 cases were classified as unifocal disease and 3 cases were multifocal single systemic diseases. In all cases, incisional biopsy was performed. After histologic confirmed, 14 cases was treated with curettage or surgical excision of the lesion and the other 14 cases were followed up without treatment. There is no death during follow up period. 11 cases has no radiological improvement after 3-6 months observation, intralesional steroid injection was performed. CONCLUSION: Patients with LCH who has rapid systemic onset is very rare, so if you meet the young children who suspected LCH, you shoulder avoid the examination which cause excessive radiation exposure to the young patient. In order to confirm the diagnosis of disease, biopsy is needed. Close observation after confirmed by histological method will bring the satisfactory results. But the patients who had pathologic fracture or wide bone destruction already may need curettage and bone grafting to lesion or internal fixation. The lesion which has no radiological improvement after 3-6 months observation or appear with pain interferes daily life may need local steroid injection as a good treatment.
Age of Onset ; Biopsy ; Bone Transplantation ; Child ; Curettage ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophilic Granuloma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Osteolysis ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder ; Torticollis ; Treatment Outcome*

Purpose: To assess the impact of toxoplasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers on the diagnosis of active ocular toxoplasmosis. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients tested for toxoplasma IgG at our uveitis clinic. Active ocular toxoplasmosis was clinically diagnosed based on wide-angle fundus photography and disease progression. Patients with IgG titers ≥ 30 IU/mL were classified as seropositive-high titer, those with IgG titers of 1.6-30 IU/mL as seropositive-low titer, and the remaining patients as seronegative. We compared the proportion of active ocular toxoplasmosis among these groups. Additionally, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of each titer and attempted to determine an ideal reference titer for toxoplasma IgG in diagnosing active ocular toxoplasmosis. Results: Out of 824 patients, 86 (10.4%), 88 (10.7%), and 650 (78.9%) were categorized as seropositive-high titer, seropositivelow titer, and seronegative, respectively. Among these patients, 34 in the seropositive-high titer group and 2 in the seropositive- low titer group were clinically diagnosed with active ocular toxoplasmosis. The false-positive rate was significantly different between the groups, being 60.5% in the seropositive-high titer group and 97.7% in the seropositive-low titer group (p < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that 37.70 IU/mL could be an ideal reference titer for diagnosing ocular toxoplasmosis. Conclusions The false-positive rate was notably lower (60.5%) in patients with IgG titers ≥ 30 IU/mL compared to those with titers of 1.6-30 IU/mL (97.7%). Therefore, not only the presence of IgG but also the level of titer appears to be important in diagnosing ocular toxoplasmosis.

PURPOSE: Interferon-alpha2b using immunotherapy of malignant melanoma is known to increase the microscopic enemies that remain after surgical resection of the tumor to prevent recurrence, disease-free survival and overall survival. Authors in patients with malignant melanoma after surgical resection and high-dose interferon-alpha immunotherapy treated group of disease-free survival and overall survival compared with the results of the treatment of immune therapy to a preliminary report. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2010 to October 2012 at our institution between being diagnosed with malignant melanoma after surgical immunotherapy treated patients were analyzed. Patients was evaluated using the stage AJCC stage IIA 3 cases, IIB 1 cases, IV 1 were as follows. Follow-up period of at least 7 months, and a maximum of 32 months. As maintenance therapy after the first induction therapy group underwent immunotherapy interferon-alpha of body-surface area per 200,000 IU five times in a week for 4 weeks sedentary and body surface area a total of 48 weeks per week to 100,000 IU three times subcutaneously. These patients for local recurrence and metastases, and distant metastasis were investigated disease-free survival was investigated. RESULTS: Interferon-evaluation through follow-up chest computed tomography (CT) and positron emission computed tomography (PET CT) in patients who underwent the alpha immunotherapy results above both local recurrence and metastases without evidence of distant metastases. CONCLUSION: The high-dose alpha2b immunotherapy performed in patients to prevent the local recurrence of the tumor and metastasis to the current or future ultimate survival and disease-free survival improvement achieved is additional study and follow-up will be needed.
Body Surface Area ; Disease-Free Survival ; Electrons ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Interferon-alpha ; Melanoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Thorax ; Tomography, Emission-Computed

Purpose: To report a case of extensive syphilitic punctate inner retinitis (SPIR) triggering bilateral macular ischemia after intravitreal triamcinolone injections, and the multimodal retinal imaging findings.Case summary: A 69-year-old male patient with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy was transferred to our hospital because of bilateral visual deterioration (to counting fingers) after the first intravitreal triamcinolone injection. Fundus examination revealed numerous yellow punctate precipitates in the superficial retinae, retinal arteriolitis, and vitritis. The punctate lesions and surrounding retinal regions showed decreased vascular density on optical coherence tomography angiography, and focal hypofluorescence on fluorescein angiography. The patient was positive for all of the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test, the fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption test, and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination; we diagnosed bilateral SPIR. After treatment with aqueous crystalline penicillin solutions (24 million units per day for 14 days), the punctate lesions reduced but arteriolitis progressed to obliterative vasculitis. After 6 months, the bilateral SPIR and vitritis resolved, and the bilateral visual acuity improved to 20/100. However, inner retinal and macular ischemia persisted because of capillary nonperfusion attributable to obliterative vasculitis. Conclusions Extensive SPIR can develop after an initial intravitreal steroid injection; the inner retinal ischemia and visual loss may persist after treatment because obliterative vasculitis develops. Therefore, patients scheduled for intravitreal steroid injections should be screened for syphilis infection.

Purpose: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of a perfluoro-n-octane (PFO)-assisted superior inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap without the peeling-off technique for the treatment of a large macular hole (MH). Methods: This retrospective interventional case series examined 13 eyes with a MH ≥ 400 μm. All eyes underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy. An ILM flap stained with 0.025% brilliant blue G was made in the superior area of the hole. The ILM in the temporal, nasal, and inferior areas around the hole was not peeled off. The hole was gently covered using the inverted ILM flap, which was stabilized using a small amount of PFO. Fluidair exchange was performed slowly. The small amount of residual PFO was removed by evaporation. The patients were instructed to maintain a facedown position for 1 day postoperatively. Anatomical closure of the hole and visual acuity were assessed postoperatively. Results: The average hole size was 605.08 ± 102.41 μm. Nine eyes had an idiopathic MH, two exhibited age-related macular degeneration, and one each had high myopia and a traumatic MH. All eyes achieved type I closure. The foveal contour improved gradually during follow-up: 92.3% of eyes had a U-shaped fovea, and 61.5% exhibited complete recovery of the ellipsoid zone. The visual acuity improved from 0.91 to 0.55 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (p = 0.003). Conclusions The PFO-assisted superior inverted ILM flap without peeling-off was effective for stabilizing the flap over the hole and consequently achieving good anatomical and visual outcomes in large MHs.

This is a report revealing statical cause of death brought to the department of forensic medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine based on the result of autopsy. The summary of result is as follows. 1. The number of autopsy made during 1998 were 356, of these 225 cases (63.2%) were male, and 131 (36.8%) were female. 2. 30's, 40's, 20's and 50's was the order according to the number of violent death, and in case of natural death, 30's, 50's, 40's was the oder. 3. August is the period during which autopsies are made most, with December placing second, and the other months are similar. 4. In distributing deaths by cases, violent deaths were 241 cases (67.7%), natural deaths were 105 (29.5%) and unknown cases were 10 (2.8%). 5. For the violent deaths, deaths due to injury were 128 cases (53.1%), asphyxia were 63 (26.1%), intoxications were 30 (12.4%) and abnormal temperature were 19 (7.9%). According to relationship with deaths, homicide is outstanding with 101 cases (41.9%), while suicide and accidental death was the same with 62 cases (25.7%). 6. For death due to injury, death due to blunt injury were 48 cases, sharp force injury which was used most in case of homicide were 43. 7. For the asphyxia, drowning is the most 20 cases, 13 cases of which is accidental death. 8. The deaths of intoxication is the largest part of suicide, and most of intoxication were involved in agrochemical. 9. Of 105 cases of natural death, deaths due to the disease of cardiovascular system were 51 cases (48.6%), of which deaths due to myocardial infraction were 35 cases. 10. Of all autopsy, alcohol intake were checked out in 90 cases and 21 cases of medical controversy took places. 11. Of all violent deaths, the cases involved in the discord between man and woman occupied percentage of 9.6. Of these, homicides were 18 cases, with all sacrificed being females, and of 16 cases of suicide, 13 cases were female.
Asphyxia ; Autopsy* ; Cardiovascular System ; Cause of Death ; Daegu* ; Drowning ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Homicide ; Humans ; Male ; Suicide ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating

It has recently become possible to record electrical activity originationg from abnormally conducting myocardium from the body surface with high-gain amplification and averaging technique. These signals, which result from delayed ventricular activation(late potentials), have been recorded in patients with documented ventricular tachyarrythmia. Several electrode lead system for detecting ventricular late potential were introduced. Pyramidal electrode lead system(PLS) is useful. Also interpretation of SAECG in the young could be of value in detecting those at risk for episodic ventricular tachycardia, but suffer from a lack of data in normal young people. There was no difference between normal values, determined by FLS and PLS at high pass filtering of 25 Hz and 80 Hz, but significant, difference was found in HFLAD and RMS-40 of 40 Hz (p<0.05). These results will provide a basis for interpretations of SAECG, determined by FLS and PLS in healthy young adults with normal QRS duration. SELECTION OF SUBJECTS: For this study, normal healthy young adult volunteers (age : mean 24 years) were recruited from the medical students at Yeungnam University Hospital, Internal Medicine. Twenty fourths male and seventeenths female subjects were selected. All subjects had normal resting ECGs as judged from both the standard 12 channel lead and echocardiography, and none had a history of cardiovascular disease. All subjects were considered to be in good general physical condition. SIGNAL-AVERAGED ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY: In order to obtain low noise recordings with a small number of averaging cycles, all subject ware asked to relax completely in the supine position. Silver/silver chloride electrodes were attached after the skin was cleaned with alcohol, to constitute classic flank lead system(FLS) and pyramidal lead system(PLS). Signals were recorded and processed using a commercially available microprocessor-augmented ECG cart(Marquette Electronics, USA) suitable for portable bedside recording.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography* ; Electrodes ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Male ; Myocardium ; Noise ; Patient Selection ; Reference Values ; Skin ; Students, Medical ; Supine Position ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Volunteers ; Young Adult*

A clinical review of 34 cases of aortic dissection which were admitted to Yeungnam University hospital between March 1983 and April 1992. The results are as follows: 1. The peak incidence was in 5th, 6th decade and male to female ratio was 1.83:1. 2. The most common cause of aortic dissection was atherosclerosis and hypertension (79%). 3. The most common presenting symptom was pain (73%). but dyspnea, palpable mass, murmur, shock were also observed. 4. Abnormal electrocardiographic finding was myocardial ischemia in 6 cases, arrhythmia in 5 cases, LVH in 5 cases. 5. The X-ray findings showed abnormal aortic contour in 10 cases but normal X-ray finding was observed in 63% of DeBaKey Type III. 6. The most common diagnostic procedure was echocardiogram and abdominal Ultrasonography. 7. The mortality of all cases was 20%, operation mortality was 18% but no death of medically treatment in medical indication.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atherosclerosis ; Dyspnea ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Shock ; Ultrasonography

Diabetic ketoacidosis is an acute complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus, which is observed frequently in routine autopsies. However, there are limitations of postmortem diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis. Clinical diagnostic criteria of the disease are not applicable to postmortem diagnosis because of the postmortem changes of the body; hence, diagnostic morphological changes cannot be observed. We report the case of a 47-year-old man that was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis via routine autopsy and laboratory tests without information regarding his medical history. Additionally, we present a brief literature review.
Autopsy* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Postmortem Changes