Unilateral spermatic cord torsion has been shown to cause damage to the contralateral testis in humans and animal models. In the present paper, we have examined contralateral testes of prepubertal Sprague-Dawley rats 14 days after 720 torsion to determine the effect of scrotal surgery versus abdominal approach and to determine the effect of therapeutic orchiectomy versus detorsion. Torsion periods were 2. 6 and 24 hours. Histologic examinations of contralateral testis at the end of the experiment demonstrate that all rats of both the orchiectomy and detorsion groups had a significantly reduced mean seminiferous tubular diameter compared to controls (p<0.001). But the groups of abdominal approach had a smaller reduced mean seminiferous tubu1ar diameter than the groups of scrotal approach. These results indicate that these contralateral alterations seem to be caused by generalized perineal inflammatory responses as well as immunologic responses.
Abdominal Wall* ; Animals ; Humans ; Models, Animal ; Orchiectomy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatic Cord Torsion* ; Testis*

Onycholysis is defined as a distal or distal lateral separation of the nail plate from the underlying or lateral supporting structures including nail bed, hyponychium, and lateral nail fold. Trauma, infection, psoriasis, thyrotoxicosis, and numerous drugs are common causes of onycholysis. However, there are few specific data on nail findings in Behcet's disease (BD). In this paper, we report on a 60-year-old man with BD, with no past history except BD, who developed recurrent onycholysis. The symptoms of onycholysis are considered to be recurrent depending on the activity of BD. The nail lesion showed improvement after classic treatment of BD and topical steroid ointment.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Onycholysis* ; Psoriasis ; Thyrotoxicosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a slowly progressive cholestatic autoimmune liver disease characterized by progressive bile duct injury. The most common symptoms of this disease include fatigue and pruritus. The diagnosis of PBC is based on cholestatic biochemical liver tests, presence of antimitochondrial antibodies, and characteristic histological biopsy findings. We report a case of a patient with PBS, who was initially suspected to be in the window period of hepatitis B by a private doctor in a local clinic based on the detection of isolated immunoglobulin M antibody against hepatitis B core antigen. The presence of this antibody is the most useful index in diagnosing acute hepatitis B (+) by immunoserological test. The final diagnosis of the patient in Good Gang-An Hospital was PBC through additional tests. The patient is receiving outpatient treatment.
Antibodies ; Bile Ducts ; Biopsy ; Cholestasis ; Diagnosis ; Fatigue ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary* ; Liver Diseases ; Outpatients ; Pruritus ; Republic of Korea*

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are usually asymptomatic in newborns or may present with rash, hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, pneumonia, and the development of central nervous system sequelae. Gastrointestinal involvement of congenital CMV infection complicating stricture has been rarely reported, especially in children. We report a case of a 2-month-old body who presented with bloody stool since 3 days of age. Hemotochezia was attributable to CMV colitis with colonic stricture, which was confirmed by histopathology, serologic studies and virus culture. Clinical status of the patient improved with intravenous administration of ganciclovir.
Administration, Intravenous ; Central Nervous System ; Child ; Colitis* ; Colon* ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Exanthema ; Ganciclovir ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Pneumonia

Full skin auto-grafts are required for reconstruction of skin burns and trauma scars. However, currently available clinical approaches such as sheet skin graft, mesh skin grafts, artificial skin graft, and in vivo skin expansion have limitations due to their potential danger for secondary damage and scar formation at the donor site, and discomfort during skin expansion. We developed an advanced bioreactor system and evaluated its function in skin expansion using porcine full skin. The reactor was designed as a pneumatic cylinder type, was programmed to adjust the pressure and the operating time. The system was composed of culture chamber unit, environmental control unit, and monitoring unit. Skins were expanded at 200 kPa pneumatic force and the expanded skins were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and histology. Furthermore we carried out auto-grafting experiment of the expanded skins in vivo using Yucatan pigs and skins were harvested and histologically analyzed after 8 weeks. The results showed that the bioreactor expanded skins to 160% in 4 hours. Histological analysis of the expanded skins revealed that epidermal cells and dermal fibroblasts were viable and remained integrity. The results of auto-grafting experiment indicated that fibrosis and scars were not detected in the grafted skins. This study demonstrates that the newly developed skin bioreactor enabled to obtain large sized full skin rapidly and successful grating.
Bioreactors* ; Burns ; Cicatrix ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Skin* ; Skin, Artificial ; Swine ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

OBJECTIVES: Although many studies on seasonal variations in mood and behavior have been carried out in foreign countries, no such study has previously been undertaken in Korea. The goal of this study was to estimate the frequency of seasonal variations in mood and behavior among Korean medical students. METHODS: 297 medical students from Korea University College of Medicine participated in this study. The subjects were surveyed with a Korean translation of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), and their responses were evaluated for seasonal patterns of mood and behavioral change, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD), derived from the case-finding criteria of Kasper et al. RESULTS: The mean global seasonality score was 6.6 (SD=3.6). 83.5% (N=248) of the subjects reported some changes in behavior and mood associated with the seasons. Only 3.7% (N=11) reported no behavioral changes across the seasons. Total prevalence rates were 15.2% for SAD, and 2.7% for S-SAD. The estimated frequencies were 3.0% for summer SAD, 2.7% for summer S-SAD, 11.4% for winter SAD, and 5.8% for winter S-SAD. The prevalence rates for winter SAD or S-SAD were higher than the prevalence rates for summer SAD or S-SAD. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that seasonal variations in mood and behavior are common among Koreans. The higher prevalence rate of winter SAD or S-SAD than summer SAD or S-SAD is consistent with most western studies and stands in contrasts to studies in other Asian countries, such as Japan and China.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seasonal Affective Disorder ; Seasons* ; Students, Medical*

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that causes opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Skin lesions are found in 10-20% of systemic cryptococcal infections, usually secondary to cryptococcemia, while primary cutaneous cryptococcosis with cryptococcemia is very rare. We report a case of rapidly spreading cryptococcal cellulitis in a 64-year-old male on maintenance hemodialysis taking steroids for encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis. Bluish bullous cellulitis developed on the left forearm and spread rapidly to the other forearm. We identified C. neoformans in the blood and skin lesions. We treated him successfully with liposomal amphotericin B and fluconazole for 15 months. We also review the literature.
Amphotericin B ; Cellulitis* ; Cryptococcosis ; Cryptococcus neoformans* ; Fluconazole ; Forearm ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Opportunistic Infections ; Peritoneal Fibrosis ; Renal Dialysis* ; Skin ; Steroids

Hepatitis E virus is an enterically transmitted virus that causes endemic cases of acute hepatitis in many countries in Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia. Sporadic cases of acute hepatitis E also have been reported in developed countries. In non-endemic areas, most of the sporadic cases of hepatitis E are introduced from the endemic areas. Until now, only three cases of acute hepatitis E have been reported in Korea. Recently, we experienced nine cases of acute hepatitis, in which serologic studies showed positive of IgM anti-HEV. We report these as cases of acute hepatitis E. These cases suggest that HEV infection occurs sporadically in Korea and should be considered as a cause of cryptogenic acute hepatitis.
Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea/epidemiology ; Humans ; Hepatitis E/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Female ; Adult ; Acute Disease

Cryptococcus is an important opportunistic pathogen of fungal infection after organ transplantation. And, tuberculosis is also a major cause of infection in immunocompromised patients. We experienced a case of asymptomatic cryptococcal pulmonary infection detected by routine chest X-ray in a renal transplant patient, and a subsequent development of symptomatic multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis during oral fluconazole treatment. For the appropriate infection control, we should make the thorough evaluation in immunocompromised organ-transplant patients.
Cryptococcus* ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infection Control ; Kidney Transplantation ; Organ Transplantation ; Thorax ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Blood Platelets ; Centrifugation ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Mandible ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Platelet Count ; Platelet-Rich Plasma ; Transplants