No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine* ; Internship and Residency*

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological and clinical studies have suggested that low cholesterol levels or clinical trals to reduce cholesterol concentrations may be associated with suicide, violent behavior or depression. The aim of the present study was to determined i) whether suicidal psychiatric patients is characterized by decreased serum cholesterol concentration ; ii) whether significant difference of cholesterol levels might be present according to the psychiatric diagnosis, and iii) whether significant association between suicide severity and cholesterol levels might be present. METHOD: The subjects were 102 psychiatric patients who were admitted to emergency ward following an attempted suicide during the period from January 1994 to July 1997 and 102 age, and sex matched psychiatric controls who were consecutively admitted to a psychiatric ward during the same period, and 102 age, sex matched healthy normal controls. The suicide attempters were divided into 5 grades according to the suicide severity. Serum cholesterol concentrations were measured by a enzymatic method. RESULTS: The serum cholesterol level in suicidal attempters were found to be significantly lower compared with both psychiatric and normal controls. This significant relationship between suicidal attempt and low cholesterol level was observed only in depressive patients, but not in schizophrenics or personality disorder patients. Low cholesterol was significantly associated with the severity of the suicide. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the previous finding that low cholesterol level might be associated with an increased risk of suicide. The fact that the significant relationship was observed only in depressive disorder, but not in schizophrenia or personality disorder raises the possibility that the association between low serum cholesterol and suicidal behavior may have relevance to biological mechanisms in depression. It is hypothesized that low cholesterol levels would be associated with depression by modifying the serotonin, the production of interleukin 2 and melatonin metabolism.
Cholesterol* ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Melatonin ; Mental Disorders ; Metabolism ; Personality Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Serotonin ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

Background/Objectives: Although thyroid lobectomy recently is considered as sufficient for low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), completion thyroidectomy is required due to the insufficiency of the preoperative evaluation. The aim of this study was to investigate recurrence rate and disease free survival depending on the gross extrathyroidal extension (gETE) or the number of metastatic lymph node identified in patients with PTC.Materials & Methods: We assessed 3373 patients with PTC who underwent lobectomy at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital (Seoul, Korea) between January 2009 and December 2014. Clinicopathological characteristics and long-term surgical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed through complete chart reviews. The mean follow-up duration was 97.1 ± 21.4 months. Results: The rate of recurrence was higher in gETE group (1.8% vs. 6.0%, p=0.004), leading to decreased disease free survival in Kaplan-Meier analysis (log-rank p<0.001). N1 group (n=1389) was analyzed into two groups whether the number of positive nodes is more than 5 or less. For the group of the more metastatic nodes, the recurrence rate higher compared to the other group (3.0% vs. 9.3%, p<0.001). DFS was longer in the group that had lesser metastatic nodes (log-rank p<0.001). However, in terms of N1 group over 1cm (n=492), No statistical difference was observed according to the number of positive lymph nodes (4.5% vs. 9.1%, p=0.092) Conclusion When it comes to node positive PTC, Despite the number of positive lymph nodes was over 5, follow-up with no further surgery can be an option.

PURPOSE: In order to find out how frequently and what kind of extra-cardiac anomalies (CAs) is associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) in general and in each CAs, autopsies with congenital cardiovascular malformations were studied. METHODS: Autopsy files of Seoul National University Children's Hospital from 1991 to 1995 were reviewed to find cases of CHDs. Other extra-CAs were tabulated from the records of autopsy files. The study population was comprised of 156 cases (86 still birth or product of terminated pregnancy; 66 livebirth; 4 unknowns-whether still birth or livebirth). RESULTS: The sex ratio was 1.14:1 males to females. In still birth cases, gestational age ranged from 16 to 42 weeeks and in live birth cases, age ranged from 1 day to 1 year 7 months (mostly neonates). The ventricular septal defect (VSD) was the most common CA, followed by coarctation of aorta, tetralogy of Follot in this order of frequency. No extra-CA was found in 55 cases, 1 extra-CA in 54 cases, 2 extra-CAs in 35 cases, 3 or more extra-CAs in 12 cases. VSD was commonly associated with Edward syndrome and holoprosencephaly, tetralogy of Fallot with holoprosencephaly, and coarctation with cystic hygroma. The most commonly involved organ system was the central nervous system followed by the digestive system, facial anomaly, and so on. Chromosomal anomaly associated with CHDs was 24 cases. Common individual anomalies were cystic hygroma, Edward syndrome, holoprosencephaly, and so on. CONCLUSION: As the fetus and infants with CHD have high incidence of associated extra-CAs, collaborative works involving dysmorphologist, geneticist, pathologist, surgeons, and pediatric cardiologist are needed. For further studies of CA and extra-CAs, a systematic database andprecise medical records and interdepartmental collaboration are necessary.
Aortic Coarctation ; Autopsy* ; Central Nervous System ; Cooperative Behavior ; Digestive System ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Holoprosencephaly ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Live Birth ; Lymphangioma, Cystic ; Male ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Tetralogy of Fallot

Zea Mays L. has been known to be effective for improving tissue health and Magnoliae cortex to have effective antibacterial and antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microbes. The purpose of this study was to examine the antimicrobial effects of Zea Mays L. and Magnoliae cortex extract mixtures on periodontal pathogens(Prevotella intermedia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans )and to examine the effects on human gingival fibroblast cellular activity. Zea Mays L. and Magnoliae cortex extracts and their mixtures were prepared with various mixing ratios (0.5:1, 1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1). These extracts were loaded to periodontal pathogen cultured petri dish for antimicrobial test and also loaded to cultured human gingival fibroblast for cellular activity test. Each test was repeated 3 times and data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA with 95% confidence level. Mixture of these two extracts showed greater amount of inhibition area on periodontal pathogen and more improved gingival fibroblast activity as Zea Mays L. ratio reduced. So, mixture ratio 0.5:1 (Zea Mays L. : Magnoliae cortex) group showed statistical significance in antimicrobial activity and cellular activity among various mixtures(p<0.05). In conclusion, 0.5:1 (Zea Mays L. : Magnoliae cortex) mixture possessed best gingival fibroblast cellular activity and antimicrobial activity toward periodontal pathogens.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans* ; Magnolia* ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Streptococcus mutans ; Zea mays*

When doctors evaluate the complaints of dizziness, they often perform a series of clinical tests to look for the evidence of a vestibular dysfunction. A useful procedure is to ask the patient to take deep breaths and observe the gaze behind Frenzel goggles. If hyperventilation-induced nystagmus(HIN) is detected, it is the evidence for an underlying vestibular imbalance. The authors evaluated nystagmus with electronystagmography after hyperventilation for 50 seconds. Brain imaging was performed to search the responsible lesion for dizziness. Brain MRI revealed a brain tumor suggesting vestibular schwannoma in the left cerebellopontine angle. After hyperventilation, dizziness and the right beating horizontal nystagmus with Alexander law could be detected. By precisely measuring the HIN, we determined that inputs arising from the horizontal semicircular canal were mainly responsible. The contralaterality of the direction of the horizontal component of the nystagmus was detected. We suggest that clinicians should routinely check the nystagmus after hyperventilation, when they evaluate patients complaining of dizziness.
Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebellopontine Angle ; Dizziness ; Electronystagmography ; Eye Protective Devices ; Humans ; Hyperventilation* ; Jurisprudence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroimaging ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Semicircular Canals

The majority of current shunting procedures involve either a ventriculoperitoneal or a ventriculoatrial placement. The ventriculoperitoneal placement have less serious associated morbidity than the atrial placement but revision of the placement is occasionally requested by complications associated with the shunting procedure. A case of ventriculoperitoneal shunt complicated by ascites and hydrothorax was reported, in which the shunting procedure was indicated for relief of hydrocephalus in an infant.
Ascites ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hydrothorax* ; Infant ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

The majority of current shunting procedures involve either a ventriculoperitoneal or a ventriculoatrial placement. The ventriculoperitoneal placement have less serious associated morbidity than the atrial placement but revision of the placement is occasionally requested by complications associated with the shunting procedure. A case of ventriculoperitoneal shunt complicated by ascites and hydrothorax was reported, in which the shunting procedure was indicated for relief of hydrocephalus in an infant.
Ascites ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hydrothorax* ; Infant ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to investigate of newborn babies sex ratio in Seoul Seong Ae hospital and review of future problem. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the 21,332 cases of deliveries in women visiting at Seoul Seong Ae hospital from Jannuary 1994 to December 2003 (10 year's period). We investigated 1st baby and 2nd baby sex ratio and in case of 3rd baby, subdividing then into tree groups (first and second are female, first and second are male, first and second are male and female). We arranged the data at the base of childbirth registers and patients' obligation records. RESULTS: The results were as follows, 1. The total sex ratio in last 10 years was 111.2:100 (male:female). 2. 1st baby sex ratio was 109.2:100. 3. 2nd baby sex ratio was 110.6:100. 4. 3rd baby sex ratio was 133:100. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that unbalance of sex ratio in 3rd baby is extremely serious trend in this country and is expected a tremendous social problems in early 21th century.
Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Male ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul* ; Sex Ratio* ; Social Problems

Although carbamazepine is being widely used in treatment of a variety of psychiatric disorders, it has some serious potential risks, including Stevens-johnson syndrome. Authors experienced in consultation a case of Stevens-johnson syndrome due to usage of carbamazepine. The patient was treated with carbamazepine to control for aggressive behavior after a hypoxic brain damage. Authors report a case of Stevens-johnson syndrome due to carbamazepine and also reviews related articles.
Brain Injuries* ; Brain* ; Carbamazepine* ; Humans ; Hypoxia, Brain ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*