PURPOSE: For the early diagnosis of Henoch-Schonlein purpura(HSP) presenting with acute abdominal pain preceding skin rash. METHODS: The clinical, endoscopic and radiological records of 23 cases of HSP, presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms preceding skin rash were reviewed. RESULTS: The intervals from the onset of abdominal pain to the development of the skin rash were one day to 30 days(median five days), most of them were within two weeks. The presenting abdominal symptoms were abdominal pain(23 cases), vomiting(16 cases), hematochezia or melena(eight cases) and hematemesis(three cases). The abnormal endoscopic findings include coalescing erythematous lesions, areas of submucosal hemorrhage and superficial erosions and ulcers. The upper gastro intestinal endoscopy showed the abnormalities in 21 of 23 cases, which were observed in the duodenum(21 cases), the stomach(12 cases) and the esophagus(one case). Duodenitis with hemorrhage and/or erosions in the descending duodenum was the sole endoscopic abnormality in two cases and was the most marked finding in three cases. Sigmoidoscopy showed the abnormalities in six of eight cases. The abdominal ultrasonogram showed abnormalities in 12 of 17 cases, which included small bowel wall thickening(eight cases) and intramural hemorrhage(three cases). Recurrences after three months of symptom free intervals developed in four cases; three of them had persistent nephritis beyond one year. CONCLUSION: The erosive hemorrhagic duodenitis in the descending duodenum in the upper endoscopy and the small bowel wall thickening in the abdominal ultrasonogram can be useful findings in the diagnosis of HSP presenting with acute abdomen.
Abdomen, Acute ; Abdominal Pain* ; Diagnosis ; Duodenitis ; Duodenum ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Exanthema* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage ; Nephritis ; Purpura* ; Recurrence ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Skin* ; Ulcer ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*

Astrovirus is frequently associated with diarrhea in children. It can not be readily isolated by cell culture, and an electronmicroscope is usually used for detection of this agent. Recently in 1995 a combined method of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was designed for easier detection of astrovirus, which is based on the conserved sequence in 3'-end of genomes of the 7 known serotypes of human astrovirus. As of yet there has not been any report of astrovirus data in Korea using the RT-PCR methods. The purpose of this study was to detect astrovirus incidence, severity of symptoms, seasonal variation and coinfection rate with rotavirus in Korean children inpatients with diarrhea. Fecal specimens from 61 young children hospitalized with gasteroenteritis Korea from Jan. 1996 through Mar. 1997. They were examined for astroviurs infection by RT-PCR method. Results are as follows: 1. Astrovirus was detected at 9.8% (6/61) from fecal specimens of children with severe diarrhea by EIA using monoclonal antibody coated plates. 2. Astorvirus was detected at 29.5% (18/61) from fecal specimens of children with severe diarrhea by RT-PCR. 3. The age of the 18 children affected by astrovirus ranged from 2 monthes to 7 years with mean of 3.0 years. 4. Mean hospital stay of the 1S children was 6.1 days. 5. Five (27.8%) astrovirus RT-PCR positive strains were confirmed in November and in December, respectively out of 18 specimens in total. 6. Astrovirus coinfection with rotavirus type G1 was confirmed in 15/16 specimens (93.8%), and with type G2 was in 1/16 specimens (6.3%).
Cell Culture Techniques ; Child* ; Coinfection ; Conserved Sequence ; Diarrhea ; Feces* ; Genome ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mamastrovirus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Reverse Transcription* ; Rotavirus ; Seasons

The most common complication of total ankle arthroplasty is skin problem including delayed wound healing, skin necrosis, and superficial wound infection. In the present study, we aimed to reduce the wound complications associated with total ankle arthroplasty using a curvilinear incision. We examined 5 patients with ankle osteoarthritis who underwent total ankle arthroplasty using a curvilinear incision from September 2012 to January 2013. Wound dehiscence was noted in 1 case, which was treated with a re-repair procedure at 13 days after the initial surgery. The use of a curvilinear incision in total ankle arthroplasty may reduce the associated wound complications.
Ankle* ; Arthroplasty* ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Osteoarthritis ; Skin ; Wound Healing ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To evaluate how much the indocyanine green (ICG) influence cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells(ARPE-19; ATCC No. CRL-2302). METHODS: Human RPE cells were incubated with media and various concentration of ICG. Their viability upon different ICG concentration and exposure time were examined by MTT assay. Also, the amount of ICG to be influxed onto the cells was estimated with the flow cytometry and the confocal laser scanning microscopy. RESULTS: The viability examined by MTT assay decreased upon different ICG concentration and exposure time. Also, they were effected in the condition of very low dose of ICG (0.00016%, 0.0008%). The amount of ICG to be influxed onto cells increased upon its concentration and time to be exposed. CONCLUSIONS: In the exposure of RPE cells to ICG, it accumulated in the cells and their viability decrease. These results should be taken into account when ICG is used for macular hole surgery.
Epithelial Cells* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green* ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde*

Human rotavirus has now been established as the leading cause of gastroenteritis in young children worldwide. At least fourteen serotypes of group A rotavirus have been identified on the basis of antibody responses to major neutralizing glycoprotein, VP7 (G type for glycoprotein), present in the outer capsid of the virus. Serotype 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the most highly prevalent in human. In Korea, rotavirus is also the principal cause of severe nonbacterial diarrhea requiring hospitalization in infants and young children, which is commonly detected by EIA method. The epidemiology of rotavirus infection has been monitored by only serologic methods without electropherotyping in Korea. This study shows seasonal and age related variations .of rotavirus infection in Korea according to the genotype using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fecal specimens were obtained from 39 children hospitalized with acute watery diarrhea and gastroenteritis in Ewha Womans University MokDong Hospital in Seoul from Jan. to Dec. of 1996. All four (1, 2, 3, 4) major G serotypes were identified by amplification of segment of the gene for VP7 using RT-PCR. Rotavirus Gl 749 bp, G2 653 bp, G3 374 bp and G4 583bp were shown on 2.9 or 3.3% NuSieve agar gel. Results were as follows: 1) Rotavirus was detected at 53.8% (21/39) by EIA and 89.7% (35/39) by RT-PCR. 2) Serotype Gl, G2, G3, G4 when detected by RT-PCR accounted for 80.0% (28/35), 14.3% (5/35), 2.9% (1/35) and 2.9% (1/35), respectively. 3) Thirty five strains of rotavirus were detected at the frequency of 17.1% (6/35) in Oct., 20.0% (7/35) in Nov. and 20.0% (7/35) in Dec. 4) As for the age range, children affected by rotavirus were mostly under 1 years.
Agar ; Antibody Formation ; Capsid ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Diarrhea* ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Genotype* ; Glycoproteins ; Hospitalization ; Humans* ; Infant ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Reverse Transcription* ; Rotavirus Infections ; Rotavirus* ; Seasons ; Seoul

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of CarnitilR (acetylcarnitine, Hanmi, Korea) therapy in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four subfertile men with abnormal semen parameters were treated between March, 2003 and March, 2004 with 3 g of CarnitilR daily for 3 months. Changes in semen parameters were evaluated 3 months after this therapy. RESULTS: The mean age was 34.2 years and the mean follow-up duration was 3.7 months. In asthenospemic patients (n=28), semen analysis before and after CarnitilR treatment showed an increase in volume (2.64+/-1.65 ml vs. 3.10+/-1.60 ml), motility (35.1+/-17.7% vs. 45.9+/-20.4%) and viability (51.4+/-20.3% vs. 59.3+/-13.6%) respectively. In oligoasthenospermic patients (n=16), semen analysis before and after CarnitilR treatment showed an increase in sperm count (10.7+/-54.4 million/ml vs. 38.4+/-32.5 million/ml) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men the empirical medical therapy with acetylcarnitine may be considered as primary treatment.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Carnitine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count

PURPOSE: To evaluate exposure rate of suture material at the transscleral suture fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lens (TSFPCIOL) with the method in which the scleral suture knots are trans positioned from both nasal and temporal sclera to superonasal. METHODS: With retrospective chart review 16 eyes of 15 patients who underwent TSFPCIOL with the transpositioned suture site, the authors checked their visual recovery rate and complicated disorders after the surgeries. RESULTS: Average corrected visual acuities at final visits improved to 0.67+/-0.32 from 0.14+/-0.17 at initial. Six eyes (37.5%) had complicated disorders at early postoperative period and 5 eyes (31.25%) had at their final visits. No exposure of suture material over the conjunctiva did occur. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that translocated suture to superotemporal sclera may be an efficient method for reducing exposure rate of suture material after TSFPCIOL.
Conjunctiva ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclera ; Sutures* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify health promoting behaviors and health problems in contact center consultants, and to provide basic data in order to develop health promoting interventions for these people. The subjects were 680 consultants randomly selected from 6 contact centers out of 31 in D city. The data were collected from March 20, to March 28, 2008. METHODS: The tools for this study were HPLPII developed by Walker et al. (1995) that was modified and translated by Park (2005) and modified CMI for contact center consultants based on CMI developed by Bordman (1994). The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t test, ANOVA, and Scheffe test with the SPSS WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The contact center consultants' health promoting behavior was in a low level and they had certain health problems related to their job such as eye, ear and throat. In consideration of contact center consultants' job characteristics, health education should be provided with the development of systematic health programs.
Consultants ; Ear ; Eye ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Pharynx

BACKGROUND: Continuous lingual myoclonus is an exceptional entity usually described in association with similar palatal, ocular, facial, diaphragmatic, or shoulders movements. Only a few cases of isolated lingual myoclonus have been reported until now, and the pathophysiology of lingual myoclonus is unclear. CASE: We have recently experienced a case of lingual myoclonus. A 27-year-old female patient was noted to have continuous involuntary contractions involving exclusively the tongue. Electromyographic study showed low frequency(2 Hz), more or less rhythmic bursts from right genioglossus muscle. There were no abnormalities in brain evoked potentials and brain MRI. Lingual myoclonus showed good response to valproic acid and botulinum toxin. COMMENT: Embryologically soft palate and tongue are different. Soft palate is both somatic and branchial origin, but tongue is somatic origin. And lingual myoclonus is more irregular than palatal myoclonus. Therefore, it is suspected that the pathophysiologic mechanisms of lingual myoclonus are somewhat different from those of palatal myoclonus.
Adult ; Botulinum Toxins ; Brain ; Evoked Potentials ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myoclonus* ; Palate, Soft ; Shoulder ; Tongue ; Valproic Acid