An epidemiological study on brugian filariasis was carried out in endemic areas including Cheju Island in Korea, with a brief review of literatures.The results showed that the incidence among residents has remarkably decreased in Cheju Island, which was the main endemic area. Reviewing available informations on the prevalence of filariasis reported in recent years and also judging from the present socio-economic conditions which enable people to practice personal protection against mosquitos, it can be said with confidence that filariasis has almost disappeared from Cheju Island and inland areas. The disease is considered to remain at a low level of endemicity in Hugsan Islands. Certainly mass diethylcarbamazine (DEC) treatment carried out in Cheju Island in the 1960s and 1970s and remarkable economic growth followed by improved living standard and altered life-style of inhabitants could all have combined effects on the disappearance of this mosquito-borne diseae in this island. If the present trends go on, the possibility of resurgence of filariasis in Cheju Island is hardly postulated.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Brugia malayi ; filariasis ; epidemiology

No abstract available.
Psoriasis*

Three cases of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia were treated at Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul national University Hospital during last four years. In all cases, many Cafe-au-lait spots and subcutaneous nodules were shown on the whoIe body skin, which are suggestive of neuro-fibromatosis. Case 1, A thirteen years old boy was treated with plate and screw fixation with massive iliac cancellous and cortical graft. In a follow-up of three and one half years, solid bony union has been obtained with successful result. Case 2, A 5 years old boy was treated with Boyds dual cortical graft with plate and screw fixation. In a follow-up to eight months, bony union were satisfactory. Case 3, A six months old boy who is young brother of case 2, was treated with Charnleys intramedullary nailing and iliac cancellous and cortical graft. The patient is still in the Iong leg cast, six months postoperatively. The evidence of familial and hereditary factor in pedigree is elicited on case 2 and 3. This congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia in the sibling is regared as the first report in Korean literature.
Cafe-au-Lait Spots ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Pedigree ; Pseudarthrosis ; Seoul ; Siblings ; Skin ; Tibia ; Transplants

Two cases of synovial hemangioma have been experienced at the Department of Orthopedic surgery, Seoul National University Hospital. In the first case, synovial hemangioma about 1.5cm in diameter was found to be attached to the anterior aspect of the medial condyle of the left femur, which was excised completely with good follow-up result. In another case, cavernous hemangioma was observed diffusely invading tendon sheaths, lower one third of the tibia and also synovium of the ankle joint. Because of diffuse involvement, complete removal was not possible. After partial removal, a total 800 r Roentgen therapy was taken.
Ankle Joint ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Orthopedics ; Seoul ; Synovial Membrane ; Tendons ; Tibia

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to determine the adequate cutoff value of the neonatal screening test to decrease recall and false-positive rates. METHODS: During the period of January 1999 through December in Asan Medical Center, newborn screening tests for phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and galactosemia were performed in 3,775, 3,707, 3,783, and 3,806 newborns respectively using commercial ELISA kits. We reviewed and analyzed the recall rate at currently used cutoff values. RESULTS: 1)In neonatal screening test for congenital hypothyroidism, using a current cutoff value, 17 microIU/mL, the recall rate was 0.9% and using a 99.7% cutoff value, 21.3 microIU/mL, the predictive recall rate was 0.4%. There were no significant differences in the other reports that suggest adequate recall rate. 2)In neonatal screening test for phenylketonuria, using a current cutoff value, 3.6 mg/dL, the recall rate was 1.5% which was no significant difference compared with expected presumptive positive rate, 1.44%. 3)In neonatal screening test for congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosemia, the recall rate was high when using current cutoff value. But all results were within normal limits in reevaluation. CONCLUSION: The cutoff values of screening test which are currently recommended by manufacturers of commercial kits for congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosemia, are needed to be reset to decrease the recall rate by false-positive results on the basis of data from an individual newborn screening laboratory.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Congenital Hypothyroidism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Galactosemias ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening* ; Phenylketonurias

Ovarian myoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor, accounting for only 1% of benign ovarian neoplasm. These tumors only originate from smooth muscle on the walls of blood vessels in the cortical stroma, in the corpus luteum and in the ovarian ligaments at the point of attachment to the ovary. Most patients are asymptomatic and the tumors are usually found incidently during operations or at autopsies. Two cases of ovarian myoma experienced in our hospital recently are reported with a brief review of the literatures."
Autopsy ; Blood Vessels ; Corpus Luteum ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Ligaments ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myoma ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary

Here we report two cases of isolated diffuse mesangial sclerosis (IDMS) with early onset end-stage renal failure. These female patients did not show abnormalities of the gonads or external genitalia. Direct sequencing of WT1 PCR products from genomic DNA identified WT1 mutations in exons 8 (366 Arg>His) and 9 (396 Asp>Tyr). These mutations have been reported previously in association with Denys-Drash syndrome (DDS) with early onset renal failure. Therefore we suggest that, at least in part, IDMS is a variant of DDS and that investigations for the WT1 mutations should be performed in IDMS patients. In cases with identified WT1 mutations, the same attention to tumor development should be required as in DDS patients, and karyotyping and serial abdominal ultrasonograms to evaluate the gonads and kidney are warranted.
Base Sequence ; DNA/chemistry/genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Glomerular Mesangium/*pathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; *Mutation ; Nephrosclerosis/*genetics ; WT1 Proteins/*genetics

No abstract available.
Female ; Indomethacin* ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy ; Ritodrine*

Human papillomavirus(HPV) has been implicated in the development of uterine cervical cancer. Detectioe of the small amounts of HPV DNA in cervical cells has been very difficult. The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) is a new technique that can specifically amplify target DNA to facilitate its detectiion. PCR technique wes used to detect HPV types 16 and 18 in cervical specimeas obtained from nnormal cervix(20 cases), dysplasia(25 cses), carcinoma in situ(21 cases), microinvasive cancer(ll cases), and invasive cancer(46 cases). And then, case of invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix were analyzed to determine that the presence of specific human papillomavirus DNA in the neoplasm was a contributing factor to their outcome. The detection rate of HPV 16 DNA in normnal cervix, dysplasia, ClS, microinvasive cancer, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma were 50.0%, 36.0%, 81.0%, 45.5%, and 58.7%, respectively. The detection rate of HPV 18 DNA in normal cervix, dysplasia, CIS, microinvasive cancer, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma were 0.0%, 8,0%, 4.8%, 0.0%, and 19.6%, respectively. of the factors evaluated in invasive cervical cancer, adenocarcinomatous component(p= 0.004) and tumor grade(p=0.015) were found to be correlated with HPV l8 infection. 5 of 8 women whose tumors contained glandular elements had HPV 18 DNA, whereas only 4 of 38 women whose tumors contained only squamous elements showed this infection. 6 of 9 women of HPV l8 infected tumors were grade 3 tumors as compared to only 7 of 28 of HPV 16 infected tumors. Age at diagnosis and nodal status in relation to HPV type 18 exhibited a trend but were not statisitically significant. These observations suggest that HPV type 18 may be associated with a more aggressive form of cervical cancer than HPV type 16.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; Humans* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

In order to examine elderly depression in the elderly that too weakened cognitively, and physically to check depressive symptoms reliably, the authors deviced collateral source version of elderly depression scale and tested it's validity. Sixty elderly depression patients and forty-eight old person in normal group completed the KGDS (Korean Form of Geriatric Depression Scale), and their collateral source (CS) completed a CS version of the KGDS (CS-KGDS). The differences of CS-KGDS means was signified at alpha=.001 level (patients group mean=18.33 (4.71), control group mean=7.60 (5.25), t=11.18). The values of Cronbach's alpha and Split-half reliability were .88 and .81 respectively, and correlational coefficent with KGDS was .68. On factor analysis, 5 factors were extracted. They were labeled 'Physical weakening and decreased vitality' (factor 1), 'Emotional discomfort' (factor 2), 'Negative thinking and Unhappiness feeling' (factor 3), 'Cognitive dysfunction' (factor 4), 'Decreased social interest and activity' (factor 5), which congruous with internal structure of KGDS. The result of discrimination analysis showed 87.09% of hit ratio, and suggested the score of 13 as optimal cut-off score. This cut-off score was identical to that of KGDS. Conclusively, CS-KGDS could be a useful tool for evaluaion of elderly depression instead of KGDS in such case that KGDS can not be administered reliably.
Aged ; Depression* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Thinking