BACKGROUND: Chronic stress is associated with physical illness such as coronary artery disease and hypertension. Daily life habits being able to affect physical health and are associated with mental stress. We studied the relationship between physical illness and stress amount so far. However, the investigation about the stress and the health habits to affect disease directly was not studied enough. Eventually we tested this investigation to know the relationship between stress amount and health habits. METHODS: We measured stress amount and health habits for a month(from May 1 to May 31, 1997) through the people who had already received health screening and were working as researchers. We used 147 results out of 212. Health habits were investigated about 6 articles out of "Breslow's 7 Health habits" and stress amount was measured by evaluation scale made by Lee, Pyoung-sook. RESULTS: There were no differences in amounts of stress of subjects according to age, years in work, hours of sleeping, having breakfast or not, the frequency of exercise and body mass index(BMI). But there were significant differences in amounts of stress of subjects according to drinking amount, smoking or not, and health habit index(P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Drinking and smoking appeared to be health habits related to the amounts of stress. Prospective studies are needed ? find a causal relationship between health habits and stress amount.
Breakfast ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Drinking ; Hypertension ; Mass Screening ; Smoke ; Smoking

Rosacea is a common chronic cutaneous disorder that primarily occurs on the convex surfaces of the central face and is often characterized by exacerbations and remissions. A case of a 52-yr-old woman visited our clinic in February 2008 complaining typical features of rosacea including multiple pinhead to rice-sized erythematous papules. We applied various conventional treatments including topical benzoyl peroxide and metronidazole as well as oral metronidazole, isotretinoin, and doxycycline. The lesions were not controlled but were rather aggravated by complications from these treatments. Therefore, we prescribed oral azithromycin, which has anti-inflammatory effects and reduces reactive oxygen species. Ten weeks after the administration of oral azithromycin, 500 mg per day for 2 weeks, the lesions had mostly disappeared and no specific side effects related to the azithromycin were noted. Oral azithromycin dosing 500 mg/day for 2 weeks is effective for treatment of intractable rosacea.
Administration, Oral ; Azithromycin/administration & dosage/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Erythema/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Rosacea/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Skin Diseases/drug therapy

No abstract available.
Pneumothorax*

BACKGROUND: Cilostazol leads to inhibition of platelet aggregation and to vasodilatation. It is widely used for the secondary prevention of cerebral infarction. However, headache is a well-known adverse effect of cilostazol, and these headaches may be caused by the vasodilation of the cerebral artery. The goal of our study was to assess the frequency and severity of headaches following cilostazol treatment and to evaluate factors related to the development of these headaches. METHODS: Seventy patients with cerebral infarction were included in this study. We measured the carotid intima media thickness (IMT), the distensibility of the carotid artery (CAD), the brachial ankle index (ABI), and the brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) in order to quantify the degree of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness. Patients were then given 100 mg of cilostazol in tablet form twice daily. For three days, we evaluated headache incidence and severity using a verbal rating scale (0-10). RESULTS: Twenty three (32.9%) patients reported headache during cilostazol medication and 7 patients had severe headache. Women were more likely to develop headaches than men (p=0.03). In addition, the mean IMT was lower in subjects with cilostazol-induced headache than in the headache-free subjects (0.8+/-0.1 vs 1.01+/-0.2 mm, p=0.001), while CAD was higher in these subjects (0.3+/-0.1 vs 0.25+/-0.1, p=0.03). There was no difference in PWV and ABI. CONCLUSIONS: Lower carotid IMT, increased CAD, and female gender may be associated with the development of cilostazol-induced headache in patients with cerebral inafarction, but not the systemic arterial stiffness.
Animals ; Ankle ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Cerebral Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Platelet Aggregation ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Secondary Prevention ; Tetrazoles ; Vascular Stiffness ; Vasodilation

We present a patient who developed recurrent angina after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) demonstrated deterioration in the myocardial perfusion, and coronary angiography revealed an overgrown side branch of the grafted left internal thoracic artery (ITA); otherwise, there were no significant changes compared with previous imaging studies obtained after the CABG. After percutaneous embolization of the grafted left ITA side branch, the angina was resolved and myocardial SPECT showed improved perfusion.
Arteries* ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries* ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Perfusion ; Tomography, Emission-Computed ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Transplants*

Congenital carpal coalition is an uncommon anomaly that results from an incomplete joint cavitation of the primitive carpus. Congenital carpal coalition between the capitate and hamate is generally believed to be asymptomatic and, thus, is usually discovered on radiographs taken for unrelated reasons. We report two cases of congenital carpal coalition (capitate-hamate) associated with pain of the wrist.
Carpal Bones ; Joints ; Wrist

Periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN) is characterized by horizontal nystagmus that reverses direction periodically. PAN can occur in both congenital and acquired conditions. We report a 58-year old man with peripheral vertigo and hearing impairment showing PAN in darkness.
Darkness ; Hearing Loss ; Meniere Disease ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Vertigo

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to identify the age-related inceased risks of the elderly gravida over 35 or 40 years at delivery by clarifying the effects of age and parity, their combination, and their interaction and the relationships of other complications. METHODS: We have made meta analysis about general and clinical characteristics of elderly gravida over the aged 35 or 40 years, based on the 7 domestic theses since 1996 year at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. RESULTS: The results were obtained as follows; In elderly gravida over the aged 35 or 40 years at delivery, maternal and neonatal outcomes were generally good, but in study group, there were a high incidence of gestational (preterm delivery, fetal presentation, pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diadetes, placenta previa, premature rupture of membranes) complications, uterine myoma during pregnancy and low birth weight in neonate after delivery. CONCLUSION: The increased risks of the elderly gravida over the aged 35 or 40 years at delivery may have been overshadowed by the previous focus on the elderly nullipara. In spite of high incidence of maternal morbidity, the overall maternal and neonatal outcomes were generally good. It is important to recognize what is more important in age-related pregnant-risks of the elderly gravida over the aged 35 or 40 years at delivery to appropriate counsel and manage this group of patients. This informations may be helpful for counsel in elderly gravida over the aged 35 or 40 years who are considering pregnancy.
Aged* ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Incidence ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Labor Presentation ; Leiomyoma ; Obstetrics ; Parity ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy* ; Rupture

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the clinical applicabillity of magnetic resonance cholangiography(MRC) with that of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography(ERC) in the evaluation of combined choledocholithiasis in patients with gall stones who were candidates for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with gall stones underwent fast spin-echo MR cholangiography using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo(HASTE) method, and half-Fourier rapid acquisition using the relaxation enhancement(RARE) method. Within five hours the same patients underwent ERC. The results of MRC was reviewed by two radiologists blinded to the results of ERC. The number and size of CBD stones and gall stones, and the degree of CBD dilatation, as seen on HASTE and RARE images, were compared with the results of ERC. RESULTS: MRC depicted common bile duct stones in 10 of 11 patients shown by ERC to have stones, while in the 16 patients in whom ERC did not reveal stones, MRC demonstrated the same finding. The number of CBD stones was exactly demonstrated by HASTE imaging in eight of eleven patients(73%) and by RARE imaging in ten of eleven patients(91%) in whom ERC revealed choledocholithiasis. The size of common bile duct stones visualized by ERC correlated in nine of eleven patients(82%) on HASTE images and in seven of eleven(64%) on RARE images. MRC showed CBD dilatation in all patients in whom dilatation was demonstrated by ERC. CONCLUSION: For the evaluation of choledocholithiasis before laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with gall stones, MRC and ERC are equally accurate. A comparison of HASTE imaging with RARE imaging, as used in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, revealed no significant differences.
Bile Ducts ; Cholangiography* ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Choledocholithiasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Relaxation

PURPOSE: Fournier's gangrene is a rapidly progressive (and aggressive), necrotizing fasciitis of the genitalia and perineum. Despite the use of broad spectrum antibiotics and surgical debridement, morbidity and mortality remain significant. The purpose of this study is to investigate and evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of this disease. METHODS: We reviewed 17 cases of Fournier's gangrene during 10 years from January, 1990 to December, 1999. We retrospectively analyzed these patients and considered several factors, which were age, sex, combined and etiologic factors, symptom and location of infection, duration of admission, operation and its complication, result of bacterial culture and sensitivity of antibiotics, morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: the mean age was 47.4 years with an age range of 3 to 77. The etiologies included unknown (65.7%), anorectal infection (23.5%) and hemorrhoidectomy (11.8%). The combined diseases (predisposing factors) included diabetes mellitus (52.9%), alcohol abuse, steroids or chemotherapy, liver cirrhosis and malignancy. Aggressive surgical debridement with broad spectrum antibiotics therapy was done on 16 patients, 1 patient refused operation. There were 3 colostomy cases, one orchiectomy, one suprapubic cystostomy case. The most common cultured organism was E.coli, 8 cases (53.3%). The mean hospital stay was 32.9 days. 3 patients (17.6%) were died due to sepsis and multiorgan failure. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the early recognition, aggressive debridement of devitalized tissue, antibiotic therapy, search for primary source are considered as the treatment of choice for Fournier's gangrene.
Alcoholism ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Colostomy ; Cystostomy ; Debridement ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Drug Therapy ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing ; Fournier Gangrene* ; Genitalia ; Hemorrhoidectomy ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mortality ; Orchiectomy ; Perineum ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Steroids