Malignant germ cell tumors occur in children and young women in reproductive age, of all the germ cell malignancies, only pure dysgerminomas had a high cure rate prior to 1970. This was due to the exquisite radiosensitivity of these tumors. Multiple-agent chemotherapy has dramatically improved the pmgnosis of patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors. Clinicopathological analysis was performed on 21 cases of malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary, 9 cases at the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Kyung-pook National University Hospital, 4 cases, at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dong-guk University Kyungju Hospital and 8 cases, at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dae-gu Fatima Hospital during the period 10 years from July. 19S8 to June. 1997 The results were summarized as follows: 1. The mean age of the patients was 21.8 years old, ranging from 10 to 61 years old. 2. Main initial symptoms were abdominal distension(33.3%), abdominal mass palpation(33.3%), abdominal pain(28.6%), amenorrhea(4.8%) in order. 3. Histologically, the tumors were classified as immature teratoma(57.1%), dysgerminoma(19%), mixed germ cell tumor(9.5%), endodermal sinus tumor(9.5%), embryonal cell carcinoma(4.8%). 4, According to FIGO classification Stage I was the most prevalent(57.1%) at the time of diagnosis while Stage III was forward in 48.6%, Stage II in 9.5%, and no Stage IV, 5. The 5-year survival rate was 80.4% and three patients have died of malignancy and the other 18 patients live without disease from 11 to 102 months, with a median follow-up of 34.2 months. 6. Prognostic factors of malignant germ cell tumors in this study were the clinical stage, the presence of ascites and the residual tumor mass.
Ascites ; Child ; Classification ; Daegu ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Dysgerminoma ; Endoderm ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Germ Cells* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Obstetrics ; Ovary* ; Radiation Tolerance ; Survival Rate

Adenomyotic cyst is very rare disease, their sizes are mostly lesser 5mm. The intrauterine adenomyotic cyst may arise from progressive expansion of cyst due to progressive menstrual bleeding. Authors experienced a case of large adenomyotic cyst within myometrium occuring in a l9-year-old woman, and who was accompanied with endometriosis. The cyst was about 3 x 3em sized, and had chocolate colored thick viscous contents, We experienced one case of adenomyotic cyst which was thought to be degenerated uterine myoma, so we report the case with a brief review of the concerned literatures.
Animals ; Cacao ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Mice ; Myometrium* ; Rare Diseases

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for health maintenance and disease management has been on a steady rise for more than 10 years. The number of visits to alternative care providers seems to have exceeded the number of visits to primary care providers. Most of these users are women who are frequently making decisions regarding treatment options without the advice of their physicians. The spectrum of CAM is broad and includes methods worthy of integration into our current practics, as well as ineffective or fraudulent practices that should be avoided. The management of many women's health issues can be enhanced by the integration of selected CAM approaches. Important issues of CAM use in the gynecologic field are menstrual disorders such as premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea, Infertility and menopause. The purpose of this article is to provide the clinician with current information of CAM of the above mentioned gynecologic issues and to be helpful in providing benefits to patients with appropriate treatment options.
Complementary Therapies ; Disease Management ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Infertility ; Menopause ; Premenstrual Syndrome ; Primary Health Care ; Women's Health

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of fentanyl and midazolam on in vitro fertilization rate and early embryo development in a mouse IVF model. METHODS: Mouse oocytes were exposed in vitro to fentanyl at a concentration of 0(control), 50, 250, 500, 1000, 5000 pg/ml, and midazolam, 0(control), 2.5, 12.5, 25, 50, 250 ng/ml for 30 minutes, washed and inseminated. Thereafter fertilization was assessed. And subsequent in vitro development to the blastocyst stage was monitored daily. RESULTS: Where fertilization occurred, subsequent embryo cleavage and development up to the blastocyst stage was affected significantly by the presence of fentanyl and midazolam solution in the medium(i.e., 14% to 31%, 10% to 35%), in comparison with control group( 60%, 62%). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from these experiments that even a brief exposure of cumulus enclosed oocytes to a low concentration of fentanyl, midazolam is deleterious to subsequent cleavage.
Anesthetics ; Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fentanyl* ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Mice* ; Midazolam* ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy

Hepatitis E was formerly caused enterically-transmitted, waterborne, or fecal-oral non-A, non-B hepatitis. Hepatitis E has its highest care-fatality rates in pregnant women. The study was undertaken with the objection of searching the Anti-HEV(IgG) positive rate in Kyeong Ju, Korea. A total of 500 pregnant women who visited the antenatal clinic were selected during the period from November, 1993 to June, 1994 at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyeong Ju hospital, Dongguk university and taken the test for IgG anti-HEV with ELISA kit. The positive rate of IgG anti-HEV was 2.8%. So we recommanded that anti-HEV is included in addition to HBsAg and ALT in prenatal screening tests for pregnant women, who have had clinical history of hepatitis.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Gynecology ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis E ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea ; Obstetrics ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Diagnosis

Testicular feminization is an uncommon genetic disorder with considerably familial predisposition and results in total feminization due to end-organ unresponsiveness to androgens. It is characterized by the presence of testes in phenotypically female with adequate breast development, normal extemal genitalia, absence of mullerian structures, and meager or absence of body hair. These patients characteristically have male karyotype(XY) and negative sex chromatin and are at increased risk of undergoing malignant transformation of the undescended gonad. In recent times, the malignant potential of the dysgenetic gonads in the intersex patients with a Y chromosome has been stressed by many authors, but few reports of an association between testicular feminization syndrome and benign tumors such as Sertoli cell adenomas. In the present study, postoperative pathology revealed that the gonads were Sertoli cell adenomas. The main features of clinical presentation and histological studies are briefly discussed with a review of the literature.
Adenoma* ; Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Androgens ; Breast ; Female ; Feminization ; Genitalia ; Gonads ; Hair ; Humans ; Male ; Pathology ; Sex Chromatin ; Testis ; Y Chromosome

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the fetal doppler flow velocimetry and birth weight in low risk pregnancy population. METHODS: From December 1995 to May 1996, We prospectively performed doppler study in 254 uncomplicated, term pregnant women, who visited Pohang Hospital, Dongguk University. Using pulsed color doppler, we measured umbilical artery RI, middle cerebral artery RI and middle cerebral-umbilical artery RI ratio within one week before delivery. RESULTS: The result was that low birth weight group (below 2500gm) had very significant lationship with umbilical artery RI(P<0.01), middle cerebral artery RI(P<0.05) and middle cerebral-umbilical artery RI ratio(P<0.05), but there was no significant relationship in these blood flow indices between normal birth weight group (2501gm- 3999gm) and macrosomia group (above 4000gm). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that application of doppler ultrasonopaphy in the assessment of fetal weight is somewhat helpful for identification of low birth weight, not for macrosomia.
Arteries ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Weight* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Prospective Studies ; Rheology ; Ultrasonography* ; Umbilical Arteries

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency, nature and risk factors of musculoskeletal problems in pregnancy. METHOD: We obtained the information through a questionnaire and physical examination of full-term (gestational age over 38 weeks) pregnant women. Prevalence, onset time, severity and risk factors of musculoskeletal problems were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 70 pregnant women, 37 women (53%) complained of low back pain which was the most common musculoskeletal problem in pregnancy. Other problems were hand symptoms (31%), lower extremity joint pain (31%), leg cramp (29%), chest pain, shoulder pain and neck pain. Previous history of low back pain was significantly correlated with the occurrence of low back pain in pregnancy. Weight gain during pregnancy and amount of time of housework during pregnancy were significantly correlated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Pregnant women suffering from leg cramp were significantly old in age. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of musculoskeletal problems during pregnancy was relatively high and several risk factors were related with occurrence of those problems. So, prophylactic risk factor control would be necessary to reduce musculoskeletal problems during pregnancy.
Arthralgia ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Chest Pain ; Female ; Hand ; Housekeeping ; Humans ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Lower Extremity ; Muscle Cramp ; Neck Pain ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Shoulder Pain ; Weight Gain

BACKGROUND: In a circle system, gas that is to be reused is cleared of carbon dioxide by passing through a canister containing a chemical CO2 absorbent. In anesthesia textbooks the utilization time of carbon dioxide is nearly always specified to last about 5 hours. The soda lime used was noted to regenerate its efficiency for CO2 absorption after being exhausted. Two different types of soda lime (a ROK product and USA product) were analyzed in patients for their duration of carbon dioxide absorption from the anesthetic closed circle system and re-use time after being exhausted. METHODS: General inhalation anesthesia was performed using a PhysioFlex anesthesia machine. To determine the duration of carbon dioxide absorption by soda lime and the re-use time after being exhausted, twenty seven (ROK; 20 and USA; 7) and fifty (ROK; 22 and USA; 28) adult patients were studied. Duration of CO2 absorption was determined as the time for the inspired CO2 concentration to reach 0.5%. The color change of ethyl violet in soda lime was observed throughout the study. Duration of CO2 absorption was compared by unpaired t-test. Re-use time of each group was analysed by simple regression; p less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Duration of CO2 absorption was 2.67 +/- 2.12 hrs for the ROK product and 9.52 +/- 0.68 hrs of USA product, and they were different significantly (P < 0.05). Regression equations of ROK- and USA-products werey (min) = 5.761x + 45.701 (r2 = 0.0438, P = 0.3496, x means day after being exhausted) and y = 0.6x + 33.179 (r2 = 0.0158, P = 0.5233) respectively. A color change of ethyl violet in ROK soda lime was not observed throughout the chemical reaction. CONCLUSIONS: From the above results we suggest that ROK soda lime is not effective yet to use for CO2 absorption in clinical anesthesia. It is marked shorter than that of the USA soda lime. A color change of ethyl violet was not observed throughout the chemical absorption reaction in ROK soda lime. Re-use time of both soda limes were not related with the duration after being exhausted.
Absorption* ; Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Carbon Dioxide ; Citrus aurantiifolia ; Humans ; Viola

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of vaginal hysterectomy on contraindicated cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined the medical records of 154 patients who underwent vaginal hysterectomy and 139 patients who underwent abdominal hysterectomy from March 1999 to March 2002. Among vaginal hysterectomy group, 77 patients (Group I) were found to have more than one contraindication for vaginal hysterectomy such as large uterus (>280 g), nulliparous or no previous vaginal delivery, and previous pelvic laparotomy. Remaining 77 patients (Group II) had no contraindications for vaginal hysterectomy. These two groups were compared with 139 abdominal hysterectomy patients (Group III) regarding preoperative surgical indication, uterus size, operative time, bleeding volume, hospital stay, pain duration and postoperative complications. RESULTS: 1. The Group II patients were older than the other groups (Group I 45.9 years; Group II 53.4 years; Group III 45.9 years) and had history of higher parity by vaginal delivery (Group I 2.5; Group II 3.5; Group III 2.1). 2. The most common indication of hysterectomy was myoma in Group I (59.7%) and Group III (71.9%) and uterine prolapse in Group II (41.6%). 3. The average bleeding volume during the operation was greater in Group III (308.6 ml) than Group I (123.4 ml) and Group II (116.2 ml)(p<0.01). 4. The operative time was longer in Group III (105.4 min) than the other groups (P<0.01). 5. Hospital stay was shorter in Group I (7.6 days) and II (7.6 days) than Group III (8.8 days)(P<0.01). 6. The pain duration was shorter in Group I (1.53 days) and Group II (1.59 days) than in Group III (2.23 days)(P<0.01). 7. The incidence of postoperative major and minor complications was significantly higher in Group III (38.8%) than the other groups (Group I 24.6%; Group II 19.5%)(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The vaginal hysterectomy is still safe and effective procedure for the patients who have contraindications such as a large uterus, nulliparity or no previous vaginal delivery and previous laparotomy except the cases with immobility of uterus by severe pelvic adhesion.
Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal* ; Incidence ; Laparotomy ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Myoma ; Operative Time ; Parity ; Postoperative Complications ; Uterine Prolapse ; Uterus