Scrub typhus (Tsutsugamushi disease)is an acute febrile systemic illness caused by Rickettsia tsutsugamushi that is transmitted to humans by the bite of larval-stage trombiculid mites (chiggers). The authors analyzed chest radiographic findings of scrub typhus in 160 patients in Ulsan area. One hundred and eight (67.5%) of160 patients showed abnormal findings which included lung lesions in 108 patients (67.5%), cardiomegaly in 37 patients (23.1%), lymphadenopathy in 25 patients (15.6%) and pleural effusion in 11 patients (6.9%). Among the lung lesions, interstitial patterns were seen in 107 patients (66.9%), mostly fine or medium reticulonodular, and air-space patterns in 14 patients(8.8%) and combined interstitial and air-space patterns in 13 patients (8.1%). Sixty-four patients(40%) had combined chest radiographic findings. The typical chest radiographic findings of scrub typhus would be helpful in evaluation of the causes of acute febrile illness that occur during late fall in the endemic area.
Cardiomegaly ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiography, Thoracic* ; Scrub Typhus* ; Thorax* ; Trombiculidae ; Ulsan*

No abstract available.
Hysterectomy*

Hypothalamic hamartoma is a congenital anomaly presenting precocious puberty, gelastic seizure and mental retardation. Other possible accompanying anomalies are cleft palate, tetralogy of Fallot, skeletal malformation and anal malformation. But the patient describing here manifested gelastic seizure only with isosignal mass of 1.5cm in diameter situated just behind optic chiasm in T1WI and T2WI of MRI. His EEG showed multifocal spike and sharp waves at left frontal and central area with asymmetric sleep spindles. The seizure has been refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs. He is now on Lamotrigine, a newly developed antiepileptic drug available.
Anticonvulsants ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Cleft Palate ; Electroencephalography ; Hamartoma* ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Optic Chiasm ; Paraplegia ; Puberty, Precocious ; Seizures* ; Spine ; Tetralogy of Fallot

We reviewed 27 patients wlth cerebellar infarction which was demonstrated by brain CT and/or MRI. Infarction occurred in the territory of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICAj in 16 patients, and the territory of the superior cerebellar artery(SCA) was involved in 5 patients. Antenor inferior cerebellar artery(AICA) infarcts occurred in 3 patients. Both PICA and SCA temtories were involved in 2 patients. In the remaining 1 patient, the infarct encompassed the borderzone between the SCA and PICA territories. The main symptoms and signs were sudden onset of vertigo, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, dysmetria, ataxia, nystagmus, and headache. There were signs of associated brain stem infarction or occipitotemporal infarction; rostral basilar artery syndrome, classic SCA syndrome, Wallenberg syndrome, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, facial palsy, hearing impairment. Presumed cerebral embolism was the main stroke mechanism in the SCA terntories. Six patients with brainstem compression or brainstem involvement showed consciousness deterioration, and only one of them died as a result of extensive cerebellar infarctions involving both SCA and PICA territories Cerebellar infarction may run a more benign course than previously thought.
Arteries ; Ataxia ; Basilar Artery ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Brain Stem Infarctions ; Cerebellar Ataxia ; Consciousness ; Dizziness ; Facial Paralysis ; Headache ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Intracranial Embolism ; Lateral Medullary Syndrome ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nausea ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Pica ; Stroke ; Vertigo ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Peripheral Vascular Diseases*

BACKGROUND: The objectives of our study were to assess the effects of oxidative stress on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of human bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)-derived osteoblasts and to explore pathways by which osteoblast cell apoptosis was induced. METHODS: Mononuclear cells including BMSCs were cultured to osteoblastic lineage. Different doses of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were added to the culture media. The colony forming units-fibroblastic (CFU-Fs) were stained with crystal violet and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The MTT assay was done to see the effect of H2O2 on cell viability. The effect of H2O2 on osteocalcin gene expression was determined by RT-PCR. The matrix calcification measurement was performed. FACS analysis was performed to determine the osteoblasts apoptosis. Caspase-3, -8 and 9 activity assay and cytochrome c release were measured. RESULTS: The size and number of ALP (+) CFU-Fs were also decreased by H2O2 treatment. When compared with the control group, H2O2 significantly decreased the total number of cells of each culture well during MTT assay. H2O2 significantly diminished expression of osteocalcin mRNA. N-acetylcystein (NAC) blocked the diminution of cell viability and the inhibition of osteocalcin mRNA expression by H2O2. H2O2 reduced matrix calcification. FACS analysis revealed H2O2 increased percentage of apoptotic cells. Addition of H2O2 resulted in the increase of caspase-9 and -3 activity but not caspase-8, and release of cytochrome c to the cytosol. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that, in primary human BMSCs, oxidative stress inhibits proliferation of stromal cells and inhibits the differentiation to osteoblastic lineage. In addition, oxidative stress induces apoptosis of human BMSC-derived osteoblasts and this may be mediated by mitochondrial pathway of apoptotic signal.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Apoptosis ; Bone Marrow* ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 8 ; Caspase 9 ; Cell Survival ; Culture Media ; Cytochromes c ; Cytosol ; Gene Expression ; Gentian Violet ; Humans* ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteocalcin ; Oxidative Stress* ; RNA, Messenger ; Stromal Cells

OBJECTIVE: As homeless people increased in urban areas after the economic crisis in Korea, they became a serious social problem. Foreign research showed that many homeless people had chronic mental illnesses which were closely related with the cause and prognosis of homelessness. But very little was known about the prevalence of mental disorders in Korean homeless people. This study tried to capture the overall picture of mental disorders in homeless people. METHOD: The study subjects were 216 homeless people who stayed at two Pusan shelters between late 1998 and early 1999. Questionnaires on sociodemographic data were administered to the subjects, and then diagnoses of major DSM-IV Axis I mental disorders were made using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders(SCID). The lifetime and current prevalence of mental disorders in this study were compared to those from other studies in Korean general population and in foreign homeless people. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of major DSM-IV mental disorders(mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders) of 216 homeless people was 60.1%, and current prevalence was 35.7%. The lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorders was 22.5% which was higher than that of foreign studies. The lifetime prevalence of alcohol use disorder was 47.4%. The lifetime prevalence of psychotic disorders was 3.8%, and among them the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia was 1.9% which was lower than that of foreign studies. CONCLUSIONS: In Korean homeless people, mood disorders and substance use disorders were the main mental disorders and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia were less than in foreign homeless people. The plans to approach and treat homeless people with mental disorders should be made.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Busan ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Homeless Persons ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Disorders* ; Mood Disorders ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Psychotic Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia ; Social Problems ; Substance-Related Disorders

No abstract available.
Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy*

A 13-year-old girl was transferred from a private clinic to our emergency department due to lower abdominal pain and acute urinary retention. Radiologic evaluation showed an imperforate hymen with hematocolpometra. In the emergency department, an imperforate hymen is a rare cause of acute urinary retention. Usually, the diagnosis of a congenital inperforate hymen can be made by inspection of the perineum; however, in many cases, an extensive radiologic evaluation must be performed because of misdiagnosis. The emergency physician should consider an imperforate hymen in girls with lower abdominal pain and urinary retention.
Abdominal Pain* ; Adolescent ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Hymen* ; Perineum ; Urinary Retention*

BACKGROUND: Low functional nephron mass and graft kidney-recipient body size mismatch can lead to poor graft function. To examine the impact of the ratios of the surrogates to recipient body surface area (BSA) and body weight on graft function within 5 years post-transplantation, we measured the graft kidney volume, using computed tomography with 3-dimensional reconstruction before transplantation, and measured the graft kidney weight during surgery in living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT). METHODS: Between February 2004 and November 2013, 142 LDKT recipients without delayed graft function, acute rejection, or infection within 5 years of transplantation were included. The graft function and its relations with graft kidney volume and its weight were analyzed. RESULTS: The graft kidney volume/recipient BSA ratio showed correlation with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of recipients after 3 years post-transplantation. We found a difference in the graft function between recipients with a graft kidney volume/recipient BSA ratio of > or =80.4 mL/m2 and those with a ratio of <80.4 mL/m2 (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the graft kidney volume/recipient BSA ratio, the graft kidney weight/recipient body weight ratio, donor age, donor eGFR, and donor/recipient BSA ratio are independent predictors of graft function at each period of transplantation (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The graft kidney volume of living donors may predict graft function and during living donor and recipient matching, both the potential volume of the donated kidney and the body size of the recipient should be considered.
Body Size ; Body Surface Area ; Body Weight ; Delayed Graft Function ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Kidney* ; Living Donors* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nephrons ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*